ROBERT FULTON FROM LOWESTOFT AND GREAT YARMOUTH SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES AGAINST 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL

In December 2013, a disturbing case unfolded involving Robert Fulton, a 32-year-old man from Southwell Road, Lowestoft, who was convicted of heinous sexual crimes against a young girl from the Great Yarmouth area. Fulton was sentenced to a decade behind bars after he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, all related to a disturbing encounter facilitated through social media.

The offences took place on December 28 of the previous year, when Fulton arranged to meet the victim at a park near Great Yarmouth. The court heard that Fulton had been engaging with the girl via Facebook, where he had posed as a 19-year-old man. His conversations with her included sexually explicit messages, which even he admitted found to be shocking. The judge, Anthony Bate, described Fulton’s actions as a form of deception, highlighting that he had “masqueraded” as an older individual to manipulate the vulnerable young girl.

During the sentencing, Judge Bate emphasized that the victim’s messages, although explicit, indicated her youth and innocence. It was evident that Fulton was eager to meet her in person and to turn the explicit online exchanges into a real-world encounter. The court noted that after pressuring her to meet, Fulton arranged a clandestine meeting at the park, where the sexual assault occurred. The judge pointed out that Fulton had the opportunity to withdraw from the situation but chose instead to exploit her for his own gratification.

Prosecutor Jonathan Morgans described the victim as a vulnerable girl who appeared much younger than her actual age. The investigation revealed that she had gone missing from her home in February, prompting police to intervene. An examination of her Facebook account uncovered explicit messages exchanged with a man using a different name, later identified as Fulton. Mobile phone records confirmed contact between the two, and Fulton was arrested in February. During police interviews, Fulton admitted to using a different Facebook identity and acknowledged engaging in sexual conversations with the girl, claiming he stopped once he realized her true age.

Further analysis of cell site data showed that Fulton and the victim had telephone contact in December, with a significant message sent on December 28 pressuring her to meet. The contact persisted until shortly before their meeting at the park, which took place around 7:04 pm. During this encounter, Fulton exploited the situation, and the court noted that he expressed a desire for the girl to be younger and inquired about her friends, attempting to gather more personal information.

In mitigation, Fulton’s defense argued that the incident was a single sexual event, not a prolonged attack, and that all offences occurred during the same encounter. They acknowledged that the language used by the victim suggested her young age but admitted that Fulton should have exercised better judgment and walked away when he realized her age. Nonetheless, the court imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) with indefinite duration, placed Fulton on the sex offenders register, and prohibited him from working with children.

In a related case from October 2013, Fulton was described as a manipulative and dangerous individual who had raped a 12-year-old girl from the Great Yarmouth area after they connected through Facebook. He had pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and a sexual assault, with police stating that the girl was left devastated and was gradually coming to terms with her trauma. Fulton, who was 31 at the time, had posed as a 19-year-old online and contacted the girl, whom he had never met before. The assault occurred in the Yarmouth area on December 28 of the previous year.

During the court proceedings, Recorder Baker warned Fulton to expect a “substantial” prison sentence. Detective Constable Richard Wallis, who led the investigation, described Fulton as “extremely manipulative and dangerous,” emphasizing the impact on the victim. He urged parents to be vigilant and to monitor their children’s online activities closely, stressing the importance of awareness regarding the risks posed by social media. Fulton remains in custody until his sentencing hearing scheduled for December 6 at Norwich Crown Court, where he will face the consequences of his actions.